Door frame construction for cabinets



,Sept 18, 1945. H DERMAN y v2,384,896

DOOR FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR CABINTS Filed Feb. 2, 1943 ATTORNE Patented Sept. 18, 1945 assises y UNITED Vs'm'res earisNToFFlcs DOOR FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR CABINETS Harry Dorman, Laurelton, Long Island, N. Y.

Application February 2, 1943, Serial No. 474,469

10v Claims. (Cl. 160-230) This invention relates to what are commonly termed knockdown or collapsible cabinets, closets, wardrobes or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a door frame unit for cabinets of this kind comprising assembled frame and door parts producing a strong door frame construction, and further one which adapts the closet to the use of a vertical partition intermediate the side walls.

- The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

. Fig. l is a perspective View of a cabinet diagrammatically illustrating my improved door frame unit with one of the doors in a partially opened position and the other door in closed position.

through the door frame unit on line 2-2 -of Figure l, but showing the doors in different positions.

Fig, 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l on an enlarged scale.

Fig. i is a view similar-to Fig. 2, showing only a part of the construction and showing a modification, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view, showing another adaptation and use of the structure as seen in Figs. l to 3 inclusive.

In the construction of knockdown cabinets, closets, wardrobes and the like vof the kind'under consideration, it has been customary to hang or hinge the door or doors on one or both sidesof the cabinet. This method of procedure has in many instances weakened the frame work of the door at the sides of the cabinet, and further'have been objectionable 'from the standpoint of use,

particularly when associated with surroundings,

in the environment of the cabinet.

It is the purpose of the present invention toy pro-vide a hinge mounting for a pair of doors,`

which is disposed intermediate the side rails of the door frame so as to not only maintain the strength of the side rails of the frame but further to reinforcethese rails by the inclusion of stop flanges limiting closing. movement of the doors.

y Further, the entire door structure is made in a simple fashion, Iby the use of a single sheet of corrugated, iiber or other paperboard, joinedat Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional viewl ifol hinge or reinforcing strip, and carrying at its free side edges frame strips grooved to seat upon the iianges of the side rails of the door frame.

Further, the upper and lower portions of the door include reinforcing and iinishing strips which terminate short ofthe mounted or hinged ends of each door, and form stops engaging the so-called hingedstrip to limit opening movement of the doors. Still further, a novel door frame unit of the class describedadapts the cabinet for the use of a vertical partition wall and the inclusion of shelf supporting cleats for supporting the shelves at-eitherror both sides of the cabinet particularly in theconstruction of various types and kinds of utility calbinets or combination wardrobes and shelved cabinets.

In cabinets of the ln'nd under consideration, the body portion of Athe cabinet is usually composed of one 'part 'HL-which forms the backwall I i, and side walls I2 of the resulting cabinet and top and bottom wall parts I3 and I4, having anges, or bearing frames engaging the back and side walls as well as iront flanges I5 for ,attachment to the" top and bottom cross rails i6 and II of the door frame unit I8;

The door frame unitin" addition to the top and bottom rails' I6 and I'I include side rails I9 and 20, 1 both` having on 'their inner surfaces, groovesv 2| to receive the forward edges 22 of the side walls I2, andfurther'grooved or rabbeted on inner adjacentedges to form door stop anges 23. At this time, it is pointed out that the illustratio'ns inthe accompanying drawing are somewhat exaggeratedfor sake Vof clarity in the villustration.'

The door frame also includes 'inner and outer vertical strips 2li, '25 which might be said to form the hinge strips or posts' uponwhich the separate doc-rs 26, 21 are'supported. The inner strip 24'extends the full height of the frame and seats in grooves 28 formed on the` inner surfaces of the top andbottom rails I6v and Il, the grooves being ofv such depths as to allow `the strip 24 to seat upon the-inner surface of a 'corrugated sheet 29. This strip including the strip 25. engages the inner or opposed surfaces of the rail I6, I'I, as will be apparent from Figi of the drawing.

The strips `2li and 25 are secured together throughout theirlength and to thecorr'ugated sheet, and the protruding endsof the strip 24 are secured to the rails I6, I'I 'by suitable fasteners indicated'at 3B, note Fig.` 3.

"The sheet 29 is folded adjacent the lsides of the Strips 24, 25, as seen'at 3| to form the hinge structhe central portion to what vmight termed?, 552' ture upon which the doors 26, 2'I are free to swing forwardly, as will be apparent in Fig. 2. A single fold is provided in the sheet 29, whereas a modification of this structure is shown in Fig. 4, where a similar corrugated sheet 32 has double fold, as seen at 33, which will provide a more flexible hinge construction for the doors.

With this latter construction it is preferred that the inner strip 24 be made wider than the outer strip 25', particularly in giving added strength to the complete door frame construction and also providing a greater surface upon which shelf cleats may be supported when the latter are employed.

The sheet 29 extends beyond the fold 3l to form the main panel or body lportion 34 of each door, and to the outer free edges of the panels 34 are secured reinforcing and finishing strips 35. The strips 35 are grooved, as seen at .36, to receive the edges of the panels, and are further grooved, as seen at 31, to receive the stop flange-s Z3, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Secured to upper and lower edges of'each panel 34 are top and bottom finishing and stop strips 38, all of which are of the same general construction. These strips are mortised, as seen at 39, to overlap outer surfaces of the strips 35 to reinforce the corner portions of the doors, as will be apparent.

The inner reduced ends 40 of the strips 38 terminate short of the rail or strip 25, so as to provide the free hinge or swinging movement of each door 26, 21 and also to form surfaces which engage the outer surface of the ystrip 25, to check opening movement of the doors, as is indicated at the left of Fig. 2 of the drawing, where the end 40 of the strip 38 is shown abutting the strip 25.

It will appear'from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing that the strips 35 are contained within the thickness limits of the rails I9 and 20. In like manner the strips 38 are contained within the limits of the rails I6 and I1 when the doors are in closedl position. This produces a very thin door frame construction which facilitates packing and shipment thereof.

Pivoted to the outer surface of each rail I9 and 20 at equal distance from the ends of these rails are door retaining clips 4I, which are frictionally retained in the operated door holding position, seen at the right of Fig. 1 of the drawing,

By reason of the similarity in both ends of the door frame unit, this unit may be mounted with either end up in the assemblagev of the cabinet, thus dispensing with the diiculty now commonly experienced in getting the right end of the door frame upward, even with the best of instructions given.

t will be apparent from the foregoing that in addition to providing a very strong and durable door frame unit, a very simple and economical unit is provided, particularly in the simple construction of doors, which dispenses with one frame member commonly employed at the hinge side of the door, and further in materially strengthening the doors by the use of comparatively wide corner reinforcing strips 38, which maintain shape and alinement of each door at all times.

In Fig. of the drawing is shown diagrammatically an adaptation of theinvention for the support of a vertical partition 42 in a cabinet intermediate side walls. With this construction a door frame unit 43 substantially similar to the unit I8 will be employed, being modified solely by the provision of a groove 44 on the inner surface of the inner strip 45, which takes the. place of the strip 24 and in using shelf supporting cleats 46 at spaced intervals along the strip 45.

With this construction other ,and similar cleats 41 are employed on the inner surfaces of the side rails 48, 49, which would be equivalent to the rails I9 and 20. With this construction it is also preferred that the back wall of the cabinet be provided, in alinement with the strip 45, with a strip 50, grooved as seen at 5I, to receive the partition 42, and also having shelf supporting cleats 52, corresponding to the cleats 46, 41. In actual construction, the strip 50 may be permanently attached to the rear edge of the partition 42, and be made detachable with the back wall of the cabinet and the front edge of the partition will be detachable with respect to the strip 45.

Other corner reinforcing strips 53 may also be employed, and will include shelf supporting cleats 54. When all of the cleats are employed, independent detachable shelves can be employed, but in other instances, the shelves may otherwise be partially supported by the cabinety wall structure, as is known in the art.

In the cabinet as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the central reinforcing and hinge strips are illustrated as being located substantially central of the cabinet. It will be apparent, however, that these strips may be located to provide wide and narrow side portions in the resulting cabinet, in which event, narrow and wide doors will be provided. At this time it is also well to point out that the present invention actually deals with a door unit which comprises the single piece of material from which both doors are formed and united by the intermediate panel or hinge post portion. The latter being reinforced by the strips or other means which extend beyond the limits of the doors for attachment or mounting of the post in the complete cabinet structure. It will alsobe understood that in more economical form of cabinets the reinforcing strips are not essential on the doors.

It will appear that the folded hinge mounting of the doors provides a continuous hinge which maintains at all times proper alinement of the doors in the door frame. Further, no appreciable wear will take place, particularly in view of the fact that checking means is employed to prevent straining the doors at the hinge, which might otherwise tend to rupture the fabric. Still further, an outer frame unit of the kind under consideration provides a more balanced mounting of the doors in the resulting cabinet, and a more perfect seal, particularly from the standpoint` that the hinged sides of the door present a perfect seal.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:`

1. In a knockdown cabinet employing collapsible wall parts, a door frame unit comprising a rectangular frame having joined top, bottom and side rails, a reinforcing member extending between the top and bottom rails intermediate the side rails to divide the frame into two door openings, a single sheet of material secured to said' member and having side portions extending beyond the member to form door panels, said sheet being folded adjacent opposite sides of and extending the full length of said member to form sealed hinged mountings for the panels with said member, and peripheral edges of said panels having reinforcing strips.

2. In a knockdown cabinet employing collapsible wall parts, a door frame unit comprising a rectangular frame having joined top, bottom and side rails, a reinforcing member extending between the top and bottom rails intermediate the side rails to divide the frame into two door openings, a single sheet of material secured to said member and having side portions extending beyond the member to form door panels, said sheet being folded adjacent opposite sides of and extending the full length of said member to form sealed hinge mountings for the panels with said member, free edges of said panels having reinforcing and finishing strips, said strips and the side rails of the door frame having interengaging parts checking closing movement of said panels, upper and lower edges of the door panels having finishing and reinforcing strips interlocked with the first named strips and having inner ends terminating short of the hinge portion of each panel, and said inner ends engaging said member in checking opening movement of the door panels.

3. In a knockdown cabinet employing collapsible wall parts, a door frame unit comprising a rectangular frame having joined top, bottom and side rails, a reinforcing member extending between and secured to the top and bottom rails intermediate the side rails to divide the frame into two door openings extending between said top and bottom rails, two doors having sealed pivots one at each side of said member and controlling said door openings, and means on the doors and said side rails checking closing movement of the doors.

4. A door frame unit for knockdown cabinets of the class described, said unit comprising a frame composed of similar top and bottom rails having rabbeted outer edges, similar side rails joining the ends of the top and bottom rails, said side rails having wall receiving grooves on inner surfaces thereof, inner opposed edges of said side rails being rabbeted to form door stop flanges,

two strips joining the top and bottom rails intermediate the side rail, one strip abutting inner edges of the top and bottom rails and' the other strip overlapping inner surfaces of said top and bottom rails, two door members hinged at opposite sides of said strips, and free edges of said doors having reinforcing strips engaging the stop flanges of said side rails in limiting closing movement of said doors.

5. A door frame unit for knockdown cabinets of the class described, said unit comprising a frame composed of similar top and bottom rails having rabbeted outer surfaces, similar side rails joining the ends of the top and bottom rails, said side rails having wall receiving grooves n inner surfaces thereof, inner opposed edges of Said side rails being rabbeted to form door stop flanges, two strips joining the top and bottom rails intermediate the side rail, one strip abutting inner edges of the top and bottom rails and the other strip overlapping inner surfaces of said top and bottom rails, two door members hinged at opposite sides of said strips, free edges of said doors having reinforcing edge strips engaging the stop flanges of said side rails in limiting closing movement of said doors, upper and lower edges of each door having nishing strips interlocked with said reinforcing edge strips, and said last mentioned strips terminating short of the door hinge mountingsand forming stops limiting opening movement of the doors.

6. A door frame unit for knockdown cabinets of the class described, said unit comprising a frame composed of top and bottom rails joined` and spaced at their ends by side rails, said rails forming a rectangular frame having a large opening therein, a single sheet of material substantially equal in dimensions to saidopening, means secured to the sheet intermediate side edges thereof and to the top and bottom rails forming a door post mounting for said sheet in said frame, and said sheet at opposite sides of the last named means being folded to form of opposite side portions of the sheet hinged doors controlling the opening of said frame.

7. In a knockdown cabinet employing collapsible wall parts, two of which comprise top and bottom wall members, a door unit controlling one open side of the cabinet, said unit comprising a single sheet of material folded intermediate side edges and at spaced parallel intervals, said folds forming of each side portion of the sheet, a door and intermediate the folds a panel extending the full length of the sheet, and means supporting said panel in the cabinet and between said top and bottom walls.

8. In a knockdown cabinet employing collapsible wall parts, two of which comprise top and bottom wall members, a door unit controlling one open side of the cabinet, said unit comprising a single sheet of material folded intermediate side edges and at spaced parallel intervals, said folds forming of each side portion of the sheet, a door and intermediate the folds a panel extending the full length of the sheet, means supporting said panel in the cabinet and between said top and bottom walls, said last named means including a reinforcing strip having terminal ends projecting beyond the upper and lower edges of said panel.

9. A door construction for cabinets and the like, comprising a single sheet of fiber board, said sheet being divided by parallel folds into an intermediate elongated narrow panel portion connected to a post and extending the full length of the sheet, opposite side portions comprising independent door portions hinged to the post connected portion by said folds, and means for mounting the panel post portion in the cabinet to provide free swinging movement of each door in controlling openings in said cabinet.

l0. yA door construction for cabinets and the like, comprising a single sheet of fiber board, said sheet being divided by parallel folds into an intermediate elongated narrow panel portion connected to a sectional post and extending the full length of the sheet, opposite side portions comprising independent door portions hinged to the post connected portion by said folds, means for mounting the panel post portion in the cabinet to provide free swinging movement of each door in controlling openings in said cabinet, andI said last named means comprising a section of said post extending beyond the limits of the hinged sides of the doors.

HARRY DERMAN. 

